BJP dispensation in Delhi committed to improve infrastructure in govt schools: CM Gupta

NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday inaugurated a new school building block at a Sarvodaya Vidyalaya in Mansarovar Garden and said her government is committed to improving infrastructure and learning facilities in schools.

Gupta also inaugurated the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Laboratory in Mansarovar and a District Institute of Education and Training at Dilshad Garden.

Speaking on the occasion, she said the BJP dispensation aims to make schools under the Delhi government a preferred choice for parents, on par with or better than private institutions in terms of quality, facilities and infrastructure.

She said real success in the education sector would be achieved when parents themselves choose government schools for their children.

The chief minister also acknowledged the role of public-private partnerships, including support from the Ladli Foundation and the American India Foundation (AIF), in strengthening digital education.

A total of 101 computer labs have been set up in government schools through such collaborations, with more than 2,000 computers provided so far, she added.

Education Minister Ashish Sood said meaningful change in education is reflected in classrooms and laboratories rather than publicity campaigns.

The government was prioritising spending on school infrastructure, including classrooms and ICT facilities, to bridge the digital divide among students, he said.

Sood said access to computers and technology-enabled learning was crucial as most competitive examinations are now computer-based.

He added that the government has already tendered 7,000 smart blackboards and plans to install smart boards in around 21,000 classrooms for Classes 9 to 12 over the next four years, with a five-year maintenance guarantee.

Director of Education Viditha Reddy said the newly inaugurated building at Mansarovar Garden has added 29 classrooms, which will help reduce the student-teacher ratio from about 55 to 1 to nearly 40 to 1.

She said a computer lab is also being developed at the school to strengthen digital learning.

A new District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) building with 36 rooms and multiple laboratories has been inaugurated at Dilshad Garden to support capacity building and professional development of teachers.

She added that, through corporate social responsibility interventions, 20 computer labs have been set up in 100 schools, with the Dilshad Garden lab being the 101st facility inaugurated.